Mechanical lock and method of operation thereof

ABSTRACT

A lock including a set of tumblers preserving their position after contact with a key to permit blocking of the keyhole during the opening process.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit under 35 USC 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/493,164, filed on Jun. 23, 2016, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A common design of mechanical locks operated with a physical key involves using movable tumblers supported by springs or spring-loaded. The common types of tumblers are pin tumblers and lever tumblers shown in FIG. 1. The tumblers block the movement of a bolt or a latch until the correct key contacts them and moves them into the positions the combination of which releases the bolt or the latch. The tumblers tightly contact the coded portion of the key's blade and their configuration corresponds to the key's blade shape. In other words, the key makes an imprint of its blade on the set of tumblers. This imprint is not stable; it is destroyed as soon as the tumblers lose their contact with the key. The tumblers are supported by springs, and under the springs' pressure they immediately return back to their initial position, as soon as the key is removed and the normal opening process is interrupted. The key has to be in contact with the tumblers during the entire opening process, therefore in such locks, the keyhole cannot be blocked (to prevent access to the lock's mechanism) during the opening process. Because of this such locks are vulnerable to picking through the key hole; and many tools exist for this purpose.

A set of movable spring-loaded parts—tumblers, is a core part of a vast majority of mechanical locks, operated with a physical key. The tumblers differ by its shape and the locks, depending on this, are called accordingly as Pin tumblers locks, Lever tumblers locks and the like. Those types of locks are widely in use currently. The tumblers are the pieces that in process of a lock opening interact directly with a key, which sets them in the positions accordingly to the keys coded portion. Depending of the configuration in which the key sets the tumblers, they will hold the bolt, or on the contrary, release the one. The bolt can be released only if the configuration of the tumblers will be formed by a “right” key for the lock. The tumblers huddle tight to the individual (coded for the lock) portions of the key's blade, thus the tumblers aligned in the configuration accordingly to the key's blade shape. Like so, the key makes some kind of “imprint” from its blade using a set of tumblers for that. Considering a method of tumblers work regarding of currently used locks, hat “key's imprint”—the composition of a tumblers, is not stable, it is destroyed as soon as the tumblers lose its contact with the key. That happening with locks currently in use, because its tumblers are spring-loaded, so—under its spring's pressure—they return immediately back to its initial position. So to maintain the opening process running—a key has to be in contact with tumblers through keyhole all the time during the entire opening process, so—a keyhole cannot be blocked at the time. Because of that, current locks are very defenseless from its picking from keyhole. Many types of pick tools exist now.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention include a method of opening a lock with a key, comprising inserting the key into a keyhole in the lock; bringing the key in contact with tumblers to make the configuration of the tumblers match the shape of the contacted portion of the key; removing the key so that the configuration of the tumblers is maintained; blocking the keyhole; and if and only if the configuration of the tumblers matches the lock's configuration, opening the lock.

In some embodiments, the tumblers are pin tumblers.

In some embodiments, wherein the tumblers are lever tumblers.

In some embodiments, wherein the configuration of the tumblers is maintained by friction.

The above and other features of the invention including various novel details of construction and combinations of parts, and other advantages, will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particular method and device embodying the invention are shown by way of illustration and not as a limitation of the invention. The principles and features of this invention may be employed in various and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings, reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale; emphasis has instead been placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows schematic construction of existing locks

FIG. 2 shows functioning of an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 shows one view a lock embodying the invention with its key outside the lock.

FIG. 4 shows another view a lock embodying the invention with its key outside the lock.

FIG. 5 shows tumblers used in a lock embodying the invention.

FIG. 6 shows a third view of a lock embodying the invention with its key outside the lock.

FIG. 7 shows a lock embodying the invention with the key inside the lock.

FIG. 8 shows a lock embodying the invention with the key removed from the lock.

FIG. 9 shows opening of a lock embodying the invention.

FIG. 10 shows of a lock embodying the invention in its locked configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Unlike of described above of currently in use method of the tumblers work, the new one gives to the tumblers an ability to keep fixed steady its position, which they have been obtained from their contact with a key, its mean—the set of tumblers keeps steady its configuration when the key removes from the lock. That new ability for the tumblers the new method implements using a well-known method of a Contour Gauge work—its pieces hold steady a contour of the surface to which they were pressed. Unlike of the opening process for the locks currently in use, which runs as continues one with a key all the time in the lock, - at the new method the entire opening process is divided on two steps, when a key presents only at the first one.

Step one—“The preparation for the opening” A key, inserted into a keyhole pushes the tumblers and aligns them accordingly to the key's blade coded for the lock contour. After that, the key has to be removed from the lock, accordingly of mentioned above—the key has made a steady “imprint” from its blade, so—the composition of the tumblers remains steady in its configuration. The key, removed from the lock, leaves in its steady imprint or duplicate for using it in the next step when the essential lock's opening will occur.

“The Essential Lock Opening” In process of opening any mechanical lock a key directly participate in the process. At the time the lock's mechanism tests the configuration of the tumblers set—whether its match to the “right” one for the lock? The key holds the tumblers in the position which corresponds to coded contour of its blade. In case of suggested” method of tumblers work” the essential opening process goes the same way: the lock's mechanism tests the configuration of the tumblers set—whether its match to the “right” one for the lock, but with one novelty; there is not necessity to hold the tumblers in the position by a key in which he has formed them, tumblers keep steady positions itself, which they obtained in “Step one”. So, the new method of tumblers work allows running “The Essential Lock Opening” with no key in the keyhole. The process of “The Essential Lock Opening” is shown on FIG. 2 & FIG. 9. The person, who operates the lock opening, rotates the lock's handle (13) that hard connected with a cam (15) & lever (19), cam pushes the castor (16), attached to crotch (9), crotch moves into the notches (17) of tumbler set (9), if that tumblers were aligned by a “Right” key, the crotch enters freely into the notches, so handle (13) will rotate future with no stop and the lever (19) will move the bolt (14) to open side. In case of “Wrong” key—the crotch (9) cannot enter into the tumblers notches (17), the handle (13) will stop and the opening will be impossible.

“The preparation for the Opening” In current locks vectors of action from springs and a key FIG. 1 (2, 5) are opposite each other, when one force eliminated—acts another one. Unlike of the current locks, vectors of action of the spring, that keeps tumblers together and the key that pushes tumblers, are shifted on 90 degrees FIG.4 (2, 5) At the “new method” tumblers are clamped in the clamp, so they have a side pressure, across of its pushing from a key. That side pressure on tumblers creates a Frequent force that keeps the tumblers together and prevents them from-change their positions when the key does not support them. It is easy to optimize that force to provide the tumblers ability to stay steady at the spot and at the same time be easy movable by key's pressure. The optimization can be done by changing strength of the spring, or quality of the connected surface.

In currently locks a key, inserted into a lock, interacts with a set of tumblers the same way as well known contour/profile gauge does and sets them in configuration accordingly to coded contour of its blade. But, unlike of the contour gauge, where its pins save steady its positions when they disconnected from the surface, to which they had been pressed before, the tumblers of current lock mechanism are not able to save their positions if they disconnected with a key. That happen because all the tumblers in locks mechanism are loaded by its individual springs, so, as soon as they loose contact with a key—the springs drive them to their initial positions. So, currently, to maintain the essential lock opening process—a key has to be permanently in contact with the tumblers, its means—a lock opening process has to run with a keyhole open for the key operated.

Unlike the current, “The new method of tumblers work”, fully uses a contour/profile gauge method of work, which gives to the tumblers an ability to remain steady in their position, when the key has been removed from the lock after its interaction with tumblers.

At the “New method”—the tumblers located in a clamp and they have not its individual springs that could force them to keep their initial position, instead of that, the tumblers are pressed to each other in the clamp which by any means necessary provides an optimal friction force between the tumblers which good enough to keep them together and prevent them from arbitrarily changing their position, when they loose contact with a key. And, at the same time, allows to tumblers easy to move under a keys pressure. That optimal tension from the clamp can be providing the same way as any clamps do: by a spring, by a screw or by a special design of a clam.

So, in case of “The new method of a tumblers work” a key, inserted into a lock, interacts with a set of tumblers as a contour gauge and aligns them in a steady composition that precisely represents its coded portion, by another words—the key, removed from the lock, leaves in it's “imprint”, or “duplicate”—a steady composition of tumblers.

After the key makes its “duplicate”, the key is removed from the lock and then lock's mechanism ready to use that keys imprint-duplicate for the essential operation of the lock opening instead of the key original.

At “The new method of tumblers work” the entire lock opening process runs in two stages: at first one a person, who operates the lock opening, inserts a key into a keyway to the bottom and removes the key from the lock. At the time—the key with its “coded” edge pushes tumblers and sets th'em in the position accordingly to the “coded” profile of its edge. That composition of tumblers remains steady, when the operator removes the key from the lock.

The first stage is accomplished and at that point the key has formed with a set of tumblers an imprint of its coded profile, other words: the key, removed from the lock, leaves in its “duplicate”, which is ready to be used for the essential lock opening.

At the second stage the “essential opening operation” is occurring. At the operation the a person, who operates the lock opening, twists a lock handle or knob to open way, and the lock mechanism tests the composition of the tumblers—is it matches with the “right” one to open the lock? At that point the lock mechanism uses the same method of the testing as all currently mechanical locks do.

The “essential” opening process occurs with a keyhole blocked from entering of any subject in the lock; a key hole only at the time being of essential opening operation is closed.

This can happen because “The new method of tumblers work” creates inside a lock a “duplicate” of the key original, so, the essential opening operation runs with the keys duplicate and that why a key hole do not needs to be open at that time. The open keyhole at the “essential” opening—makes the lock extremely defenseless before pick tools.

It is easy to optimize the tumblers steadiness by changing the strength of the springs or quality of the rubbing surfaces.

“The Essential Opening”, I call the core operation for any lock's—the process of the “Essential Opening” when its mechanism tests the cOl\lposition of its tumblers, which has been formed by a key—whether the composition matches to the “right” one or not? That operation in the present invention differs from the same operation for the locks with traditional tumblers by two points: ,a) A key does not participate in the step, because it already performed its role for the locks in the step 1)—when the key have formed a tumblers set accordingly to its coded blade shape, and they still keep steady its composition for the step 2)—[see point a) above].

There is no other principle changes in comparison with “The Essential Opening” that currently locks use.

At the beginning of the “Essential Opening” stage, the person, who operates the lock's opening, twists the lock's handl˜trying to move the bolt open. At the moment, a flap, connected to the lock's handle shaft, blocks the keyhole. As the lock's handle keeps spinning—the essential opening process occurs with no key, but with its “imprint” and with the keyhole blocked.

The “Essential Opening” in the present invention uses the same lock's opening principle as the current locks: the set of the tumblers was formed by means of a “Right” key—the lock will be opened.

The present invention needs one additional operation which current locks do not have it: after the lock is open—the composition of the tumblers formed with a key at “The Preparation for Opening”—(the “Frozen imprint”)—has to be destroyed and brought to its initial shape. This addition makes the lock's mechanism prepared for the next working cycle—“locked/opened”. This can be easy done with combination of cams and levers propelled by means of moving to open position bolt or handle shaft.

The present invention gives no chance to use a pick tools even when a keyhole is open (before the “Essential Opening”—for example), of course, at this time you can easy reach the tumblers with any tools and change their position, but three is no ability simultaneously to check—whether the new position, you just set, is the “Right” for the lock's opening? Because as soon as you turn the lock's handle trying to retract the bolt, the flap, that connected with the handle shaft, moves and jams the pick tool in the keyhole. So, you are forced after every single change of the tumbler's position take off a pick tool from the lock and then move the lock's handle—this takes unacceptable to much time—a months of continuous operation for the lock picking, because the tumbler's set of 5 pins or levers has a hundreds of thousands of variants of the tumblers positions.

The springs act on the tumblers right transversely to their movement under the key's pressure, so, if the key does not push the tumblers, the whole tumbler's package stays pressed to the side base—B as a solid piece. The diaphragms isolate the tumblers from each other - so, the movement of one of them is not transmitted to the adjacent ones.

In contrast with the locks described in the Background section, the present invention allows the tumblers to preserve their position or configuration after their contact with the key, and to maintain their configuration after the key is removed from the lock and after the keyhole is blocked. The tumblers function similarly to a contour gauge. The tumblers preserve the shape of the surface of the key, to which they were pressed.

Unlike the locks that require the key to stay in the keyhole for the entire duration of the opening process, some embodiments of the present invention split the opening process into two phases; only the first phase requires the key to be present in the keyhole.

The Preparatory Phase

A key is inserted into a keyhole. The key pushes the tumblers and aligns them in accordance with the key's blade contour. Then the key is removed from the lock.

The tumblers interact with the key similarly to a contour gauge, and maintain their alignment, for example, by friction. Therefore, the key leaves an imprint as the configuration or alignment of the tumblers.

The Opening Phase

The user rotates the lock's handle. First, the keyhole is blocked by the yoke 9, regardless of the key or tumblers' configuration; this prevents access to the lock mechanism via the keyhole.

The user continues rotating the lock's handle. This tests whether the key imprint, as the configuration of the tumblers matches the lock configuration.

The lock is configured so that its opening requires that the notches 17 align along a straight line. Only when the notches are aligned, the yoke 9 moves to the right far enough to move the latch to open the lock.

While this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims. 

1. A lock mechanism by means of its tumblers and fully using a well-known method of contour/profile gauge work, creates/forms a “duplicate” of a key, inserted into the locks keyhole and then, uses that “duplicate” for the essential locks opening instead of the key original, which has to be removed from the lock after it makes the “duplicate”.
 2. A lock mechanism of claim 1, where the “essential” opening process occurs with a keyhole blocked from entering of any subject in the lock; - a key hole only at the time being of essential opening operation is closed.
 3. A method of opening a lock with a key, comprising inserting the key into a keyhole in the lock; bringing the key in contact with tumblers to make the configuration of the tumblers match the shape of the contacted portion of the key; removing the key so that the configuration of the tumblers is maintained; blocking the keyhole; and if and only if the configuration of the tumblers matches the lock's configuration, opening the lock.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the tumblers are pin tumblers.
 5. The method of claim 3, wherein the tumblers are lever tumblers.
 6. The method of claim 3, wherein the configuration of the tumblers is maintained by friction. 